Soon I may have to move to a place where there is no electricity. But even if there were I would like to switch over to solar, as I doubt we are going to be able to access unclean electricity for much longer with the world as it is. Or it will just be too expensive. I donít want electricity from the power plants anyhows. I am sick of being part of the system raping our Mother Earth. When my British parents and I moved to Australia in 1972 we traveled in a Land Rover for two years, slept under the stars, bathed naked in the sea and billabongs and cooked on a wood fuelled camp fire. Two years without electricity and without running chemically contaminated tap water. BLISS!!! Unfortunately we had to settle because I reached school age. But I digress.

I have been the full time carer of my best friend, Robert, for these past 15 years. He was born with cerebral palsy quadriplegia and is totally dependent on me, he is 35, I am nearly 40. He has an electric wheelchair, and I use an electric mobility scooter, as I have a connective tissue disorder, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and canít walk too far. So it is pretty important to keep these two things running now and where we will be in the future. We have no family support or any friends who can help us. We live below the poverty line, so advice here is very important as I canít afford to make any major financial stuff ups by experimenting.

Has anyone here read one or all three of the following books on DIY solar panels? Here is a review link http://www.homeenergyreviews.com/ Books are: Earth4Energy, Home Made Energy, Home Made Power Plant.

I hope to make us totally self sufficient were we intend going. So making our own solar panels at the fraction of the cost of already made, that would be too expensive, would be pretty handy. If I can't access solar power we don't move and that will mean big trouble for us.

Thanks, Bobcat. Been frying my brain with the videos that this link provided. They have been very helpful and very interesting. I have brain ache . I am literally starting from scratch learning about electricity and how we get it from grids apposed to solar.

Got to phone around to see what Darwin businesses supply and the costs, from already made to kits and bits and pieces for DYI. It will be a great learning experience and I will post about my progress in a few weeks time. In the meantime I am open to anyone who has used the books I mentioned in my post.

Being faced with caring for someone who is totally dependent and severly handicapped raises a unique situation when faced with going back to basics of living. Though someone with disabilities has extra needs they can survive under very extreme conditions. Where there is a will, there is a way. Robert is thrilled about the idea, but try telling that to someone who hasn't cared for a severely handicapped individual, or who is not handicapped themselves. Blimy, many of these people live such boring lives!! Nothing ventured nothing gained. And anyway, when society breaks down we are going to be faced with going back to basics anyway, but at least by then we hopefully will be prepared and have a lot better chances of surviving, and surviving more comfortably.

Our main essential would be a small freezer as ice is a vital part of keeping some pretty nasty sores and rashes at bay. Solar freezers will be pretty easy to find out about. Without the knowledge of ice treatment Robert would be dead now. We have had some really scary experiences with the so called 'professionals'. Let us deal with the bush anyday, The bush is friend, and a very close one when we get to know it. After all, bush is part of our loving provider, Mother Earth.

I'd do a lot of research on this (which you are), as your electrical demands will be fairly high. As an example, I just ordered solar for my house that I"m building, and it's a lot more than 1 panel at 75 watts. And even at that, the installer was concerned because my father is on 24/7 oxygen and the machine that concentrates it out of the air is on full time, which means a constant pull on the inverter and draw on the batteries.

Good luck with your endeavors, I totally understand wanting to get off the grid.